Articles

There are three main nations that inhabit this country: Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats. The Bosniaks are mainly Muslims, the Serbs Orthodox, and the Croats Catholic. Despite different religious and/or ethnic background, their language, traditions and culture are more similar than not. Their roots are in the early Slavic tribes that settled this land between the 6-7th centuries and intertwined with the indigenous Illyrian tribes.

There is also sentiment of just being Bosnian, with no particular affiliation except to the country from where they are from.

In short, the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina are southern Slavs, with varying religious backgrounds. According to the last population census there were 4,354,911 inhabitants in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1991. Due to war-related death and migration, that number is lower now. Policy makers estimate that the country's population is now around 3.8 million people and steadily growing, and that over one million Bosnians now live abroad. The ethnic composition remains similar to the pre-war percentages: Bosniaks (Muslims) 44%, Serbs (Christian Orthodox) 32%, and Croats (Catholics) 17%. The remaining 7% of the population is composed of Yugoslavs, Albanians, Romanies, Jews, and several other minority groups.